What Do You Want to Do When You Grow Up?
“I Don’t Know Yet” is a fully acceptable answer!
Nan She
Nan She is a project controls officer at Ontario Power Generation and an active volunteer in the AACE Women in Project Controls Committee at AACE International. Outside of work, she enjoys fishing, baking, and immersing herself in science fiction. She thrives in collaborative environments and enjoys working on projects that push the boundaries of what’s possible. She is passionate about continuous learning and embracing new challenges and is always open to exploring new interests and expanding her skill sets.
Have you ever been asked by your boss or a colleague, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” as if everyone is supposed to have their career paths like a schedule, ready to be baselined, monitored, and tracked? What if you don’t know? Is that bad? Will they think less of me? Sometimes not knowing is OK, especially if there is still so much to learn and you are not ready to “baseline” that schedule yet. Nan She, a project controls officer at Ontario Power Generation, shares her perspective three years into her career.
When you were last asked, “What did you want to do when you grow up?” How did you respond?
To be honest, I always cringe a little when asked that question, even though the question always comes with good intent. I love my job in project controls right now, but I often wondered if I knew the perspectives of the project manager I’m supporting or the thought process of the contractor I’m monitoring, would I change my approach? There are still so many positions to explore in project management alone. How does one choose?
How did you decide on a project controls role right out of school?
I majored in chemical engineering at the University of Toronto with a minor in sustainable energy and engineering business, so a career path with prospects in both business and technology in the energy sector was what I was after. I was fortunate to have been accepted for a 14-month internship at Ontario Power Generation (OPG) in Canada, where my role was to support the reporting of over 200 projects within the entire nuclear portfolio, and my duties included analyzing project performance, monitoring risks, conducting gap analysis, and helping the development of tools and templates. I found the job very rewarding, and the organizational, planning, and communication skills I’ve gained from it solidified my intent to return to OPG as a full-time employee after graduating!
What drove your decision-making regarding your current career path?
I think my personal experiences have stealthily guided my career choices. I moved to Canada from China alone to pursue my studies at age 15. The experience, albeit lonely, allowed me to embrace self-reliance. The independence also gave me the freedom to make decisions on my own. I knew at a young age how important it is to set goals, make plans, and see them to completion. These skills helped me tremendously through my university education. In hindsight, they set me up for success at my internship, where my planning skills and the ability to execute plans were seen as assets and prerequisites of a great project control professional. My colleagues’ and managers’ support and positive feedback made that choice much easier.
Since the future career path is still uncertain, what are you doing to help you decide what to do next?
I think there is nothing more important than being prepared. That can come in the form of getting a mentor or pursuing a degree or certification. But for me, my personal growth was something I identified as critical, as this will prepare me for any role and any profession.
I have done some self-reflection in the past couple of years. I found myself too shy in a group environment and often hesitated to speak up in a meeting. This could be because of my culture, where we were taught to blend in, not to stand out, and not to challenge the status quo. It could also be that I did not think that my contribution was going to be valuable, seeing that I am still new to the company and the profession.
Last year, I raised my hand at a work initiative to identify what business processes can be simplified. I identified an improvement opportunity to develop a training manual to onboard new project control staff to the company. I know I had suffered as a shy intern and remembered that I did not have a resource that I could use to quietly and quickly get up to speed. To my surprise, everyone loved the idea, and I helped bring that initiative to fruition. That product is being used today for new staff.
You are an active member of Women in Project Controls. What motivated you to join this group?
I joined AACE Women in Project Controls, first as a support staff at the Toronto Section, then two years ago, I joined the WPC team in developing webinars to help foster a safe forum for project controls women all over the world to achieve gender equity. These experiences fueled my passion for supporting others in need, pushed me outside my comfort zone, and made me more confident and courageous to speak up and contribute to discussions. I am very proud to be able to reach out to WPC on a global scale.
What advice would you give to an aspiring project controls professional if asked, “What do you want to do when you grow up?” and they do not feel comfortable because they don’t have the perfect answer?
It’s okay not to have the perfect answer or a clear career path. Feeling lost, unsure, or anxious is normal when you are still career-exploring. Many of us don’t have everything figured out from the start. We all begin from different places, and the journey towards finding your direction happens at different rates for everyone.
What matters most is taking the right steps: embrace the challenges and opportunities that come your way, learn as much as you can from each experience, and keep growing. There’s so much value in simply staying curious and prepared for what comes next.
I’m still figuring it out, and that’s okay. I see myself as a work in progress, evolving with each new experience. As I explore my journey, I’m confident I’ll eventually find clarity, and so will you